


Full Circle, Part II

by alynwa



Series: Triple A [8]
Category: Boston Legal
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-21
Updated: 2012-08-21
Packaged: 2017-11-12 14:34:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/492238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alynwa/pseuds/alynwa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alan must do as Denny wishes; it is time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Full Circle, Part II

Shirley and Carl arrived that evening at approximately six – thirty. They were sitting in the living room with Alan and Adrienne chatting about glittering generalities in an effort to ignore the real reason for their visit. Finally, Shirley said, “Alan, I think I’d better go upstairs now before I lose my nerve.”

 

Alan stood up. “It was kind of a bad day for him so; his nurse gave him a mild sedative. He’ll either be asleep or just very quiet.” He glanced over at Carl and said, “Please, don’t be insulted, Carl but, I would rather that you _didn’t_ see Denny. I know he would kill me if I allowed you to see him like this; just like I know he would kill me if I kept Shirley from him.” 

 

Carl had stood when Alan did. “I’m not insulted at all, I understand completely. I would rather remember him the way he was. Adrienne and I will keep each other company while you’re gone.” He watched them leave to go upstairs and then sat back down. Carl had opted for Shirley to do most of the talking for them both while he had been observing the unspoken interplay between his former colleague and his friend as they sat across from him on the couch. Though they had sat inches apart and had not been touching, one would have to be blind not to see the connection the two obviously shared. _They are extremely comfortable together_ , he had thought, _they seem to anticipate what the other one is going to do and say_.

 

“So, Adrienne, has Alan ever told you that Shirley and I met Adrian when he came by the office years ago?”

 

Adrienne smiled at the mention of her son’s name. “Really?” she said, “So can Alan and I cook or what?”

 

Carl laughed, “He _is_ a good looking young man. Shirley and I saw him step off the elevator and knew immediately that he was either Alan’s son or an alternate universe doppelganger. I haven’t seen him in years, though. How is he?”

 

“He got married two years ago to the young lady Alan and I met when we first, well, met him. He’s a gerontologist and he and Nora live in Chicago now.” She walked over to the bar set up that Rodeo had arranged prior to the Sacks’ arrival. “I’m going to have a glass of wine. Care to join me or are you driving?”

 

“I’ll have a scotch if you don’t mind. I arranged for a limo to drive us. Shirley is going to be upset when she comes downstairs and I want to be able to focus all my attention on her. There’s a bar in the car, so she’ll more than likely have one then; in fact, I’ll make sure of it.”

 

Adrienne handed him a glass and they clinked them together and drank. After a few moments of silence, Carl looked up and said, “Shirley was worried about Alan’s state of mind after, well, you know. We’re both glad you are here to support him.”

 

She smiled sadly and replied, “I’ll be here as long as he wants me to be. I’ll take care of him to the best of my abilities.”

 

Carl raised his glass in salute. “Of that, I have no doubt.” Just then, Shirley and Alan came back into the room. Her eyes were red – rimmed and it was obvious she had been crying. Alan looked distraught.

 

Shirley stuck her hand out to shake Adrienne’s and said, “It was a pleasure to meet you; I just wish it had been under better circumstances. Carl and I really need to get going.”

 

Adrienne and Carl put their glasses down and the four of them walked toward the front door. Alan handed them their coats from the front closet and after getting hugged by both, opened the door to let them out. He and Adrienne stood in the doorway until their chauffeur had closed their door and gotten in the driver’s seat. It was too cold to watch them drive away.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

Alan’s shoulders slumped. “No,” he said, “but, with you here, I will be. Let’s go upstairs and talk.”

 

BLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBL

 

The two friends were comfortably ensconced in Alan’s bed sipping hot chocolate Rodeo had brought up for their nightcap. Alan put his cup down and announced, “I’ve made some decisions and I want to know what you think.”

 

“OK, shoot.”

 

Alan took a deep breath. “I’ve decided that you and I need to say our final goodbyes tomorrow because I’m calling Dr. Forrester on Monday. I won’t make arrangements for his memorials until after…until after it’s all said and done. I just want to follow his wishes; I don’t think I could handle anyone’s judgment so, no one will know what’s been done except you, Shirley, Carl, Dr. Forrester and me. I’m dismissing the nurses tomorrow.”

 

She looked at him. “What about his body?” she asked.

 

“Denny wants to be cremated and have his ashes strewn from his office balcony on Boylston Street. That will happen but, I know from experience that a human body produces a lot of ash so some will be scattered from the balcony, some will be scattered around the grounds here and the rest will be scattered at Nimmo Bay.“

 

Adrienne stretched and started settling in for the night. “That all sounds good to me, Alan. Denny would like everything you’re talking about, I’m sure of it.”

 

Alan grinned briefly and said, “Before you drop off, there is one more thing.”

 

“Yes, Alan?”

 

He looked uncomfortable for a moment before he pushed forward, “Please think about this before you answer. Adrienne, would you please consider giving up the bounty hunter life and staying here with me? I know you enjoy the work and always have but, we both are getting older…”

 

“Yes.”

 

“-- and I worry about you so much,” Alan kept speaking, “and we have always loved each other and…”

 

“Yes.”

 

“-- you don’t have to answer right now mmmph…” Alan was silenced by Adrienne’s hand covering his mouth.

 

“Alan, I’ve answered you twice already!” Adrienne laughed as she removed her hand, “Yes, I will retire from bounty hunting and stay here with you. I’ve actually been thinking about stopping for some time now but, can we speak about this later? It would just be too weird to have that discussion now.”

 

Alan reached to turn off the lamp and then moved to spoon up against her. “I agree. I will say though, that maybe this horrible black cloud that is hanging over me and this house is showing a glint of silver lining. Love you. Goodnight.”

 

“Love you, too, Alan. Goodnight.”

 

BLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBL

 

Sunday afternoon found Alan and Adrienne sitting in the master bedroom watching Denny while they prepared to say goodbye. The nurse had been sent out on an extended break to give them privacy. Alan was sitting on the bed holding Denny’s hand. He rubbed his thumb across the older man’s knuckles to keep himself calm. He couldn’t believe that Denny had experienced another setback. He was slipping away steadily and faster. Dr. Forrester had said when he came by earlier in the day that they were in “uncharted territory” meaning that since no one else in the country was taking the drug, everything that was happening to Denny was an unknown. In just forty – eight hours, Denny had become comatose, though both Adrienne and Alan were certain Denny could hear them. 

 

Adrienne looked at Alan who nodded and then stood up to leave. “No, Alan, don’t go; I want you to hear what I’m going to say to Denny.”

 

After Alan sat back down, Adrienne scooted her chair closer and took hold of Denny’s other hand. “Denny, it’s Adrienne. Guess what? You were right; Alan asked me to stay. I want to thank you for not taking my bet!” she laughed and rubbed his arm. Her smile faded to a serious look as she gathered her thoughts. “Actually Denny,” she began, “I want to thank you for so much more. I remember having a phone conversation with Alan years ago when he told me he had met the famous Denny Crane and had accepted your invitation to go to work for Crane Poole and Schmidt.”

 

“Thank you Denny, for believing in Alan’s professional abilities and giving him another chance to practice law with a topnotch firm. Thank you for befriending him. Thank you for not judging him.” Adrienne wiped tears from her face and took deep breaths to compose herself. “I can do this,” she whispered more to herself then to the men in the room. “Denny,” she started again, “I used to worry about Alan. I know, I know; I’m the one with the semi – dangerous job but, I’m not talking about physical danger. I was always worried that Alan would one day reach his threshold for emotional pain and just shut down. He has been hurt so many times in his life; he has trusted so many times only to have that that trust betrayed.”

 

“You saved him Denny; you gave him a safe place to put his heart. I will be grateful to you forever for doing that. And, I will be grateful to you forever for what you said to me five years ago. I never forgot it and I never will. Thank you for including me in your life. I’ll never forget you.” She stood up and leaned over him to kiss him gently on his forehead and his cheek. “Goodbye, Denny.”

 

She turned to exit the bedroom. “Adrienne, please stay. You don’t have to go,” Alan spoke from the other side of the bed. He had stood and motioned for her to sit again. She looked at him and smiled.

 

“Yes, I do,” she answered him softly, “He’s your _husband_ ; you don’t need an audience to say goodbye. I’ll be in my room.”

 

Alan watched her leave and then turned back to look at the man lying with his eyes closed whose hand he still held. Instead of retaking his seat on the bed, he sat in the chair _She always knows when to stay and when to give me space_ , he thought warmly. 

 

“Denny,” he whispered, “even at this stage of our lives, you still manage to surprise me. What did you tell Adrienne five years ago?” He put his other hand on Denny’s and used both his hands to lift Denny’s to hold it against his forehead. He sat quietly for a few minutes with his elbows on the bed and Denny’s hand resting on his head, feeling the hand’s warmth, filing the feeling away in his memory so he could retrieve it in the future. “’A friend might well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature.’ Ralph Waldo Emerson could have been writing about you when he put those words on paper.”

 

“I went to work at Crane Poole and Schmidt assuming that all I was getting was a job and a paycheck. Who knew I would end up with a best friend and a husband, for Pete’s sake! I think you always had more vision than I did. Denny, you were always so _big_ , so full of life and laughter and, most importantly, love. Believe it or not, you restored my faith in love, Denny. What you have done for me through the years; words can only provide the palest of descriptions. 

 

I was _done_ , Denny. I was so done with trusting and loving and friendship. And then, there you were; knocking down my walls with your outrageous antics, insisting that I lighten up and enjoy my life, insisting on being my friend. I had not had that kind of connection with another human being in a very long time. I couldn’t help myself, I came to adore you. We had our fights and disagreements but, I never doubted how you felt about me. Never. You gave me a safe place to put my heart.” 

 

Alan moved onto the bed beside Denny and put his head on Denny’s chest like he had done dozens of times before they married and every night since. He pulled Denny’s arm around him as if they were about to go to sleep. “Denny, I pray to God I’m doing the right thing at the right time; Adrienne said that you two always trusted and had faith in me to know when the time is right. I wish I had the faith you have. I wish you would let me know you’re OK with this decision.”

 

Suddenly, Alan became aware that Denny’s hand had cupped his face. After a few seconds, Denny patted his face. Shocked, Alan searched Denny’s face for awareness or any sign of consciousness but, there was none. He could almost have convinced himself that it never happened. _Except it did_ , he thought, _Thank you, Denny, for letting me know I’m right_.

 

“Thank you, Denny, for scotch and cigars; for health spas and fat farms; for fishing trips and Nimmo Bay. Thank you for offering me a job and for being my friend. Thank you for convincing me to marry you; these years have been among the happiest of my life. Thank you for making me promise to call Adrienne. I have a feeling you have a grand plan in place involving the two of us. Thank you for caring about me. Thank you for loving me, Denny.”

 

“’Thank you’ is so inadequate but, it’s all I’ve got. That and this.” Alan slowly got off the bed, leaned in and kissed Denny on his forehead, his cheek and his lips. He leaned over to Denny’s ear and whispered, “I love you, Denny. I will never forget you and not to worry: When Dr. Forrester comes tomorrow, I’ll be with you.” 

 

BLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBL

 

Denny’s demise was almost anti – climatic. Dr. Forrester arrived promptly at 9AM Monday morning, adjusted the morphine drip and per Alan’s request, left the room to wait downstairs until he was called. Only Alan and Adrienne were in the master bedroom. Shirley had been relieved when Alan told her that since Adrienne would be there, he would not be alone, so she did not have to be because he knew how hard it had been for her to be with her father when he died.

 

Adrienne and Alan sat on either side of the bed each holding Denny’s hand and watching his breathing get slower and slower until finally, he exhaled one last time and didn’t inhale. They sat a few minutes longer and then rose, kissed his cheek and when Alan walked around the bed, Adrienne held him while he cried. When he finished, she left him with Denny while she went to get Dr. Forrester to declare the time of death.

 

When the funeral director picked up the body (in both their minds, Denny was gone; this was only a shell) the entire household staff stood at the front door entranceway to say goodbye.

 

BLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBL

 

The private service was held at the house two days later and was attended by Shirley and Carl, the household staff and, of course, Alan and Adrienne. It was officiated by the Right Reverend William Wall, Bishop Diocesan of the Episcopal Church of Massachusetts. Even though the service was only forty – five minutes long, Alan could not remember any of what had been said. 

 

The public memorial service was held at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul across from Boston Common one week later and was also officiated by Rt. Rev. Wall. This service, however, was a standing room only, media circus as befitted the passing of a legal lion of Denny Crane’s stature. Everyone who was anyone attended the service. Reverend Al Sharpton, Paul Lewiston, District Attorney Brad Chase, Mayor Jones, and even Supreme Court Justice Scalia all spoke of their friendship with and memories of Denny Crane. At one point, Alan looked around and thought, _Denny would have loved this_.

 

BLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBL

 

A week later, Alan was able to scatter some of Denny’s ashes off “their” balcony despite the objections from some of the new partners of Chang Poole and Schmidt thanks to Paul Lewiston’s intervention. When he had stepped off the elevator onto the fourteenth floor, he was surprised by the number of people he _didn’t_ know but, glad that he didn’t have to make small talk. He was escorted to Denny’s old office by Paul, a concession he disliked but, tolerated. After he had completed his mission, he had turned to Paul and said, “For Denny, I thank you, but I hope to never lay eyes on you again. Goodbye, Paul.”

 

Paul’s lips tightened and drew thin in distaste. “The feeling is mutual, Alan. Do not come back here,” he sneered as Alan stepped through the elevator doors and out of his life for a second time.

 

Later that same day, Alan scattered some more of Denny’s ashes around the grounds of their home; the gazebo, the stream and off their bedroom balcony. Afterwards, he met up with Adrienne in the living room.

 

Adrienne handed him a glass of scotch. “So, when are you going to Nimmo Bay? And, do you want me to go with you?”

 

He took a sip and put the drink down. “I’m not ready to give him up just yet so I don’t know exactly when I’m heading up to Canada and yes, when I do go, I want you to go with me,” he answered. “Thank you, Adrienne.”

 

She moved closer to him on the couch and turned to face him, putting her right leg up and under her. “You’re welcome,” she replied, “but, for what?”

 

“For being here, for staying, for loving me, for everything. You made everything bearable. May I ask you something?”

 

Adrienne put her upper arm on the back of the couch and put her head in her hand. “You may ask me anything. What do you want to know?” She watched Alan look her straight in the eyes and smile. The light bulb went off over her head. “Oh,” she said, “you want to know what Denny said to me years ago.” He nodded in answer.

 

“After you and Denny got engaged, Denny called me one day. He asked me how I was doing and we were just shooting the breeze when he says to me, ‘Adrienne, I’m convinced that Alan still loves you.’ I laughed and said I know that. He says, ‘No, I mean Alan still _loves_ you.’”

 

Alan flushed slightly and said, “Oh, really.”

 

She nodded and continued, “He told me to keep an open mind about moving back here because he was certain that you would ask me to retire and stay here when his time came and that ultimately, we would get back together. He told me that if that were to happen, he wanted me to know he would be happy for both of us; that when he said as much to Adrian when they had lunch one day he had truly meant it. I thought that was the coolest thing anyone had ever said to me and I will never forget it. He was concerned about your, well, _our_ ultimate happiness even as he was getting ready to marry you.”

 

Alan sat there digesting everything he had just heard. Finally, he said, “It’s been a long, emotionally draining day. Let’s go to bed.”

 

Alan had not slept in the master bedroom since Denny’s death. He had replaced the bed and all the linens because he couldn’t imagine sleeping in that bed anymore. When they got to the top of the stairs, Adrienne started to head toward her room but, Alan took her hand, pulled her into his arms and began to kiss her gently. As she began to respond, the kissing became more insistent and passionate. He backed her into the master bedroom until the back of her legs connected with the bed and they landed on it. They undressed each other and made love again for the first time. They climaxed within seconds of each other and when Adrienne’s breathing had slowed down, she looked into Alan’s face and saw the tears standing in his eyes. She put her hands on either side of his face and asked softly, “Why are you crying?”

 

He smiled and replied, “Remember the first time we made love and I told you I was crying because I felt safe and right and loved?” She nodded. “Adrienne, _I still do_.”

 

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Nine months after Denny’s death, Alan and Adrienne became Mr. and Mrs. Alan Crane in a civil ceremony presided over by a Justice of the Peace at the house. The only witnesses were Dr. and Mrs. Adrian Alan Anderson. They flew to Nimmo Bay together to spread Denny’s ashes.


End file.
